How are thing going with you fmichael? Has tDCS helped your cognitive problems? Please let us know how you are doing. The more the merrier!

ballerina:

thanks for the response and suggestions. I'm certainly open to hearing anything.

your statement about my set up is a good one -- I've tested my set up with multimeter is, etc. -- and that all is working properly.

the part that confuses me -- I get sleep disturbance -- which kind of indicates that maybe I'm too far forward towards the forehead in my electrode placement (i.e. near or on the DPLFC - which is reported in many research papers to disturb sleep) -- but then when I measure - that's not what the measurements indicate.....

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Dear Voner,

A thought has crossed my mind which may or may not have any relevance
but in your post you mentioned despite your hunch you might be placing the
electrodes in the wrong area your measurements would suggest you are not.
My question is since everyone is different which includes our anatomy then
is it possible certain parts of your brain may not be placed in what is
usually considered the norm?

Regardless, hang in there.
:hug:Joydee

Ha...this made me laugh. I've had the same thought before and it was followed up with the thought that, "Great...just one more thing about me that's not quite right." Lol.

But it's a valid point...maybe try adjusting the electrode placement slightly and see if it helps. Not like it's going to hurt you and if the sleep disturbances stop then you have your answer and measurements be darned.

TDCS with DC waveform i also find some study where use theta-TDCS to cause a change in brain rythm.May it can be posible use similar apoach in the CRPS to restore a natural barinwave pattern in cortex area.But this need litle more advanced device capable to deliver specific waveform (similar to CES but with dirrect current may can be used porgramable CES device with diode to block lower part of wave).I try to build it with MP3 player and few other parts.

Just a little update on my own progress with the tDCS treatments. I've been doing this new protocol for 2 weeks now and I am very happy with the progress. The reduction in the pain has been consistent in my hands and arms (went from a 6-8 normally down to I would say a 4-6) and the allydonia (in my hands and arms) is also greatly reduced. I am wearing the gloves less and less (though I still keep them with me all the time just in case) and I also haven't been having the freezing/stiffness in them at all for the past week and a half.

Now...I did have what COULD have been a very bad setback a couple days ago. I was riding in the car, we were stopped at a stop sign...and we got rear ended. Oh my lord...that jolt! I thought I was going to die. I had a very similar experience with a jolt like that in the car last year and it sent me into a flare for a week. Well...as the day went on the pain got worse, started in my back and neck, went to my shoulders and down my arms. My back and neck were so stiff and in so much pain I could not even turn them at all. When we got home I set to work, pulling out the heating pads (one for my neck, one for my back), attached some lidoderm patches (one to each forearm), and plopped myself down in front of a spaceheater for a good hour until I felt like I could was getting the range of motion back in my neck and body. My ankle...surprisingly didn't seem affected by the accident this time but I had the TENS unit on at the time pretty high...and it was my back that got REALLY jolted against the back of the seat.

Anyway...followed all this up with a hot bath with epsom salts at the end of the night and ultrasound therapy on my arms and shoulders. The next morning I took another hot bath with epsom salts and just did the normal routine that I start every day with and aside from a slight ache in my back still...the pain was essentially at normal levels. I couldn't believe it...I was on edge all day waiting for the flare to hit me again...but it didn't. I continued all my normal stuff throughout the day and this morning I feel completely back to "normal". I am amazed. I definitely feel that this is related to the tDCS treatments because before the smallest things could cause flares and something like this really would have lasted a week or so. But it didn't. Just a couple of hours really of the bad intense flare (swelling, pain, temp changes, etc) and with just pulling out my "flare kit" and responding to it with all my normal stuff it just melted away. And the achiness the next day was likely not really related to the RSD at all but more just stiffness from the actual accident itself.

So yay for tDCS and dodging a bullet with this flare. I was so scared that this would set me back a lot but instead I am free to keep plugging along as usual and working on all the things that I am trying to accomplish. Hope this can give everyone some hope. I'm going to continue using this protocol and look forward to hopefully more improvements in the future.

Take care everyone.

Your response is so exciting! Although I have experienced nothing like a car accident I did have the storm door slam on my formerly bad wrist while trying to get out the door with my cane on Saturday. I absolutely knew I was in for the usual extreme reaction. First I cursed, then I had a bit of a panic, then I got a grip to keep a lid on the emotions so I didn't rev things up anymore.

To my absolute astonishment, just the usual pain that one might expect. Slight swelling, which is now gone. Just a bit achy now. No return of color changes or allodynia. NONE!!!!!! I didn't want to post until I was sure but couldn't wait after reading yours!

We know where we are now and where we have been. I wonder how long it will be before doctors routinely use tDCS for any abnormal response to pain, thus preventing CRPS in the first place. If it can prevent spreads it must be able to prevent the cycle that perpetuates CRPS in the first place.
Now Catra we need to get the word out to the newly diagnosed.

So Happy for you!

Like you, I wanted to wait until I knew for sure since I kept expecting the bad flare to come, but when I woke up this morning with just my regular pain and not even the ache anymore I felt it was safe to share. I am really looking forward to sharing my progress with the doctor next time I see her.

still here
 

Hello everybody, just letting you all know I'm still here
Have had terrible few weeks, really struggling to keep head above water
Thanks so much to all of you for your kind support, Ballarenia,Voner,Catra, Orlin, and everyone else. Reason for my delay is I simply haven't had the funds, just enough to feed myself, barely scraping by, but I'm speaking to a really brilliant gifted inventor who might yet save my life, I'll let you all know...the research on tDCS that Ballerina has passed on to me and Voner is still very important for applying to this other technology, I'll share and let you know more as I know more..it could indeed help/enhance your own journeys to wellness.
Take care everybody

Hi Nick,

So very sorry that thing are getting worse for you. Please do not be taken in by desperation. Does this inventor happen to be the one who is claiming to crank out a similar device for $99.00?